Oakland Tribune from Oakland, California • Page 6

6 "WEDNESDAY EVENING OAKLAND TRIBUNE AUGUST 30, 1905 JV LJNJ UU jvJ MJ WW Fill re nn MOT The New oi Its Office Building on Kind in the United Franklin Street is One of the Finest States Switchboards dnd Other Equipments Are the Latest Improved Modern Type. It is proposed to com-land and the money they from the central office where I a large storage battery is 7 i office, we are advised, that their service is bad. 'This! same condition occurred elsewhere under the same! circumstances, and it is said i some are operators, others are overseers or supervisors, and still others chief operators, whose duty it is to insure freedom frpm interruption and delay and in to be unavoidable. However, we are assured that once the cufbver is effected, things will be much more satisfactory. A person can readily see what this cut over amounts to, when it is stated that it involves chang ing oer five hundred thou sand vdres.

Great credit is due this corporation for the master-ly manner in which it has at- tended to the wants of the The new interior plant? of the Sunset Telephone and Telegraph Company in their new building at 1275 Franklin street will be completed this week, and is worthy of a visit by all who are interested in anything which advances the interests of our city. The present office of this Company at 512 Twelfth street proved very equate for its needs some time ago, owing to the very rapid growth of their Exchange in Oakland, and as a 'result, something over eighteen months ago, the present new building at 1275 Frank-lin street was started 'and an order placed in the East for onVof the latest improved types of switchboards; on the market. The new office building mentioned above is one of the finest and most complete of its kind in the United States. It is three stories in height; is as near fireproof as architectural art could make it, and has facili- ties for handling over 000 subscribers The entire upper floor is devoted to operating. On the second floor he front half is devoted to an elegantly furnished room' ftted up for an operators' retiring room and a dining room and kitchen, where lunches are served to operators free of charge and where there is, in constant attendance, a matrffo look after their personal comforts and wants.

The rear half of the second floor is devoted to the storage plant and distribution room for all wires, and also the Trou ble Department. The lower floor accommodates the executive and public offices of the Company and in the basement is located appar- atus to be used in case of emergency. The switchboards are of the Iciest improved 4 'common battery" multiple type. It is proposed to never change the subscriber's number unles they move within the district of another office. As soon as' the subscribers are changed tp work from this new office, the work of changing all telephones to the common 'battery type will commence.

1 The new telephones are mar- vels of beauty. No local battery is used on them; all current for talking coming lease such occurs to sift the matter down and advise the patron why. This last is peculiarly significant, as it emphasizes the necessity of human agency in handling telephone service, for- the public are becoming more exacting every year. They want to be waited on, not wait on themselves. Alameda county has re-ently been made a division bv itself in order to insure prompt attention to the wanis of subscribers.

The Division Manager, Mr. Peter J. Lynch, seems very desirous of showing all patrons of the Company through the new quarters and demonstrating to them just what the Telephone Company is doing to better the condition of things and give the people of Alameda county one of the most up- NEW SUNSET TELEPHONE BUILDING, FRANKLIN STREET, NEAR FIFTEENTH. i mence operating telephones 5 from the new office about October 10th. This date has been set in order that all work on these new switchboards may be completed in first-class manner.

The outside plant, covering poles and wires of this Company in Oakland, Alameda and Berkeley, is being gone over as as possible and is be ing put in first-class condition. It is figured, however, that this will take some time to do vet, since it involves i tearing out the- old poleS and wires entirely and replacing them with new poles and copper wire. We have not been informed as to what the cost of all these improvements will be, but it looks as though it would run up to several hun dred thousand dollars. To i accomplish the work- now under way, the Telephone Company have had over 200 men employed constantly at Oakland, Alameda and Berkeley for nearly two years, but the results of their labors will not be apparent until the move to the new. office is made.

These men are all residents of Oak- earn goes to help along our beautiful city. It is both instructive and interesting to pay a visit to the new telephone exchange, where competent employees are always on hand to show patrons all details of the new system. Thework will be so evenly distributed that LOCAL SWITCHBOARDS operators will be able to give instantaneous service. Each operator has her allotted work laid -out, and the line is distinctly' drawn. While (...,.

.5.1,. Jpi Zf--K SOS? v'- 'x. tlilllfrwiliU I hi kept stored at all times for this purpose. When all changes now under way are completed it is proposed to give the prefix Oakland" to all telephone numbers in Oakland; the prefix Berkeley to all in Berkelev, and Alameda in Alameda, thus doing away with a multiplicity of prefixes, which subscribers look upon as a source of public under very adverse conditions. We are advised that the matter of new and modern equipment for Oak land was taken up a long time ago, but at that time the plans orhe boards now being installed had not been completed by their engineers.

In fact, a number; of; ed out. The result of this delay being that Oakland, 11 Alameda and Berkeley- will have one of the most up-to- date telephone plants in the world when the wrk now. under way is completed -i' ii. .1 nil ii Hi up Jt yi V. I mm K.r.iu! .1 1 ftXXt', ,1 I wnniiii T.

UJ--- rrfk I WITH CAPACITY TO HANDLE 10,000 SUBSCRIBERS. i 111 to-date telephone plants in. the world. As things are! at present, owing to' men i- cutting over" cables and lines to connect with the new THE TROUBLE DEPARTMENT HOW WIRES ARE DISTRIBUTED AND. REG-- ULATED ALSO RINGING.

AND STORING 1 MACHINES.